Pre- and postoperative growth in persistent ductus arteriosus.

Children with a persistent ductus arteriosus requiring ligation under 6 months of age show evidence of intrauterine growth retardation. By the time of operation the weight centile of 17 (71%) of 24 such infants had fallen, but 20(84%) of the 24 gained weight postoperatively. Those who did not so were either large-for-dates infants growing towards the normal or small-for-dates infants who remained small postoperatively.